Page:The Book of the Thousand Nights and One Night, Vol 1.djvu/318

294 upon him and he took the cup from the lady’s hands and drank it off. Then she drank a cup of wine, and he rose and bowed to her, saying, “Health to thee!” She filled him another cup and he drank it off, and she gave him a cuff on the nape of his neck; whereupon he rose and went out in a rage; but the old woman followed him and winked to him to return. So he came back and the lady bade him sit, and he sat down without speaking. Then she dealt him a second cuff, and nothing would serve her but she must make all her maids cuff him also. Quoth he to the old woman, “Never saw I aught finer than this!” And she kept saying, “Enough, enough, I conjure thee, O my lady!” The women cuffed him till he was well-nigh senseless, and he rose and went out again in a rage; but the old woman followed him and said, “Wait a little, and thou shalt come to what thou wishest.” “How much longer must I wait?” asked he. “Indeed I am faint with cuffing.” “As soon as she is warm with wine,” answered she, “thou shalt have thy desire.” So he returned to his place and sat down, whereupon all the damsels rose and the lady bade them fumigate him and sprinkle rose-water on his face. Then said she to him, “God advance thee! Thou hast entered my house and submitted to my conditions; for whoso thwarts me, I turn him away, but he who is patient has his desire.” “O my lady,” replied he, “I am thy slave and in the hollow of thy hand.” “Know then,” continued she, “that God has made me passionately fond of frolic, and whoso falls in with my humour comes by what he wishes.” Then she ordered the damsels to sing with loud voices, and they sang, till the whole company was in ecstasy: after which she said to one of the maids, “Take thy lord and do what is wanting to him and bring him back to me forthright.” So the damsel took my brother, who knew not what she would do with him; but the old woman came up to him